My daughter goes to preschool through the park district. Her class meets twice a week from 9:15-11:45 a.m. There is another preschool program (for slightly older kids) that meets from nine to noon. These programs run all school year, on the same days. Easy to predict, right?

The park district also runs programs for Seniors during the day. Not a problem.

Except today they scheduled the Seniors New Years Party (don’t even get me started on that silliness) to begin at noon. It’s a free party. Hooray! So, over 250 seniors signed up. They all drive themselves. The party is scheduled to start at noon, so they all arrive early to get signed in. Early as in they start arriving at 11 am and fill the entire parking lot, park illegally, fills all the side streets, etc.

Oh, and many of them (not all, but enough that my toddler and I almost got hit walking into the building) drive like IDIOTS!

I had to park 3 blocks away, in January in Chicago, to pick up my daughter from school.

The preschool director was so concerned about the safety of kids today, that she decided to shorten the preschool day and have the parents pick the kids up 15 minutes early. But the only notice of this was a sign on the classroom door this morning.

Would it be too much to ask that they schedule the adult party to start AFTER preschool lets out? It takes time to bundle these little kids up and get them out the door, buckled into the cars, and go. They could have arranged for the Seniors party to start at 1. Which would have given a nice buffer. But no.

Instead, it is scheduled to start at noon, which gives the 2 year old classroom 15 minutes to get out the door and parking lot before the party officially starts, and the 3-4 year olds no time at all.

Not that it mattered anyway because everyone arrived early for the party and was milling around in all of the hallways leaving no space to actually put the kids coats on, or look at their artwork that they made today, or any of the usual “pick up routine”.

Give me a break! A little prior planning isn’t too much to ask for!

I can’t wait to talk to the scheduling person for the park district tomorrow. She is of course busy today with the party.

Grrrr.

2 Responses to “Aggravated with the park district”

Don’t you know that old geezers’ programs always get what they want, and if they “always have” eaten at noon, there’s no way a bunch of 75 year olds are going to change what they do and eat 20 minutes later.

Ouchie. Seriously though, while I have no children, I have picked my bff’s kid for her a few times over the years at different day care centers, after school programs, preschools, etc. I really don’t think any of these places plan well. The parking lot is always a mess. I strongly feel there should be an order to pulling in and where you can park and drive so people who don’t do it every day can clearly see how it works. The teachers and aides are always running around like a chicken with its head cut off. The kids are never ready to leave, and yeah, that’s if they can find them. I have lots to look forward to, huh?